


Inner Tubes and Ice Cream

by kittykatknits



Series: Twenty Years of Summer [2]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Jon and Sansa Are Not Related, Jonsa Summer Challenge, Starklings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-11
Updated: 2017-07-11
Packaged: 2018-11-30 21:19:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11471871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittykatknits/pseuds/kittykatknits
Summary: Prompt: NatureWritten for Day 2 of the S 7 Jonsa Summer Challenge on Tumblr------Jon thinks summer time with the Starks is a tradition by now. He starts this particular summer by becoming a hero and eventually realizes just who his best friend is.This story is the second in a five part series showing the changing relationship between Jon and Sansa over a twenty year period.





	Inner Tubes and Ice Cream

**Author's Note:**

  * For [vivilove](https://archiveofourown.org/users/vivilove/gifts).



> Vivilove - Thank you for the encouragement while writing this.

Jon still thought about that summer three years ago when he first met the Stark family. He’d spent every day playing with them and been miserable when the time came to finally return home.  Now, Jon was thirteen and pretty sure that spending summers at Long Lake was a family tradition, even if it was only the three of them.

He emerged from the short forest trail down the street, Ghost following along behind him, to head back home for lunch. The Starks would probably not be arriving for another day or so and he could not wait. Long Lake was pretty but there wasn’t much to do without other kids nearby.

“Oh, ho, Jon Snow. Do you want a popsicle?” Sansa was waiting for him on his front porch, a half eaten grape popsicle in one hand and a partially melted one in the other. Her lips had turned a purple grey color.

“Sure.” He took the offered popsicle, quickly licking before it melted away. “I thought you weren’t going to be here until tomorrow.”

“My dad left work early so we could start our summer.”

Jon grinned. “I’m glad. Ghost and I missed you.” As proof, his dog started nuzzling her hand, begging for a pet. He had missed her, and all of the Starks. Robb was a great friend and Arya was like a little sister to him. Sansa was special though, she was the one that had made him a part of her family. She was the one he ended up telling about his dad leaving this past year. If they lived closer together, Jon knew she would be his best friend.

“We’re going inner tubing down the Last River in a couple days. You’re going with us, right?”

He nodded eagerly. “I’m sure my mom will let me.”

She grabbed his hand, pulling him next door. “Come on, everyone is waiting for you. My mom said to ask if you and your mom can come for dinner. We’re making homemade ice cream.”

Jon ran with her, feeling giddy. His summer was finally starting.

A few days later, Jon stood next to the rest of the Stark family, wearing a bathing and holding on to one of the giant rented inner tubes.

“Poor Rickon doesn’t get to go ‘cause he’s still a baby,” Arya explained to him.

Rickon was crying and rubbing at his nose. Jon watched Sansa pick him up to swing him around and drop little kisses all over his face. Rickon began giggling as she handed him over to their mom.

“Ok, kids. Have fun and we will be waiting for you when you reach the springs,” said Mr. Stark as he waved good bye.

They had barely drifted away from the river’s edge when Sansa let out her first shriek of the day.

“It’s cold.”

“You dork, it’s cold every year,” Robb shot back at her.

They drifted in the rapid waters, forming a circle with their hands a few times and bouncing their inner tubes off each other. At one point, he got into a war with Robb to see who could push the other into the water.

It was moments like these that Jon wished he could be a Stark all the time. He felt guilty over it, his mom loved him and so did Ghost.

Sansa let out her second, third, and fourth shriek of the day.

Shut up,” Arya belted out at her.

“Leeches. They’re on my legs and my feet.” She was sobbing, practically in hysterics.

“Hey, I have them too.” Robb sounded excited over it.

Jon looked at his legs, frantically swiping at them. “Me too.”

They all paddled like mad to get back to the side of the river, standing in the grass and mud to pull leeches off their body. Sansa was crying the whole time. Arya and Bran were laughing and throwing the disgusting creatures at each other.

“I don’t want to go back in the water. It’s gross in there now,” said Sansa.

Robb pulled the wet hair back from his face. “We can’t walk, it will take all day.”

Sansa sat on the ground. “I’ll wait here until mom and dad come back for me.”

Jon grew uncomfortable as Robb and Sansa began to argue with each other, he was never sure if he should stay quiet or get involved. He wasn’t really a Stark, even if they adopted him over the summers. Finally, all four of the Stark siblings were arguing and bickering together.

“Sansa, you could use my towel,” he offered. They all shut up to stare at him. “Wrap yourself in it, the leeches won’t be able to touch you that way,” he explained.

It took some convincing, but they set off once more, with a shield of towels between Sansa and the water. Jon felt like a hero.

*****

“Do you want to walk down to the corner store with me and get some ice cream? I want some mint chocolate chip.”

“I’d love too. Let me tell my mom I’m going, I’ll be right back.”

Jon notified his mom and grabbed his shoes, sliding them on as he went back to the front door. “Let’s go.”

Sansa wore a pair of khaki shorts and a plain white t shirt, her hair pulled back in a pony tail. “Where’s Ghost?”  

“Stretched out by my mom, sound asleep. Lazy dog.”

She laughed. “I guess we’ve worn him out.”

He stole a glance at her. “For some reason, we’ve decided to make hiking the theme of the summer.”

Sansa pretended to look confused. “Why did we decide to do that again?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Ask Bran and Arya. They’re the ones organizing it all, we’re just along for the ride.”

They reached the small store, Jon opened the door and they were both hit with an immediate blast of ice cold air-conditioning. Goosebumps quickly covered his skin. “Let’s get the ice cream and get out of here. This place is freezing.”

They each got a double scoop of chocolate chip mint and left the store behind them.

“You want to walk down to the docks?” She asked him.

“Sure.”

They began to walk back towards Long Lake.

“Jon, do you remember when we got covered in leeches a couple years back?”

He remembered that summer very well. It was the first one since his parent’s divorce. He rarely saw his father any more. His dad had promised they would spend Christmas together but he knew it wouldn’t happen. Besides, it would mean leaving his mom home all alone and Jon did not want to do that. “You wouldn’t stop crying.”

She shoved his arm. “It was the scariest day of my life.”

“I dunno, I thought it was a pretty fun day,” he teased her.  

They reached the edge of the dock and sat down, their feet dangling over the edge.

“Jon, can I ask you a question?” He could hear the worry in her voice and that made him nervous.

“What’s wrong?”

“You’re going to be in high school next year, like Robb. Are you still going to want to be my friend since I’m younger than you? I would understand if you didn’t want to be my friend any more.”

Jon was surprised at her question. Robb was a great friend and he thought of Arya and Bran and Rickon as if they were almost his younger siblings. Sansa was different though, she was special to him. “Do you remember when we met? You introduced yourself and we spent the rest of the day rescuing you from dragons.”

“Dragons are the worst.”

He chucked at the old joke. “Dragons really are the worst.” He studied her. “I was lonely and miserable, feeling sorry for myself. I’m glad you came over that day. You’re practically my best friend, Sansa. I hope you won’t stop being my friend just because I’m in high school.” He grew uncomfortable, it felt as if he was giving her a deeply personal confession.

“I wish you lived closer to us,” she mumbled.

“I wish I did too.” He took the last bite of his ice cream before grinning at her. “We still have the rest of the summer though and next year too. My mom already made a reservation for us.”

“I like summer here with you Jon, you’re a part of our pack, like my dad always says.”

“I suppose I am.” Jon loved Mr. Stark. More than once, he wished the man was his father rather than the one he’d been given. “Hey, you wanna get more ice cream?”

Her eyes grew big and she began to shake at the idea. “Cherry chocolate jubilee. We’re going to make ourselves sick from ice cream.”

“Who cares? It’s summer.” Jon stood, holding out his hand to help her up.

As they walked back to the store, Jon realized he had not exaggerated. Even if they only saw each other during the summer time, Sansa Stark was his best friend.

**Author's Note:**

> The leeches aren't a Stand By Me reference. I was 12 and on summer vacation when it happened....


End file.
